‘India will miss Pant’

Team India will begin their quest to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) when they taken on Australia in the first of four Test matches in Nagpur beginning Thursday (February 9). The home side, though, will miss the services of wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant – one of the heroes of last BGT triumph in Australia. Pant was badly injured in a road accident on December 30 and has undergone multiple surgeries to repair ligament damage in his knee and heel. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels Rishabh Pant’s presence would have given sleepless nights to Australia captain Pat Cummins but even then India would start firm favourites in the upcoming four-match Test series beginning here on Thursday. Pant met with a horrific car accident in December last year and is yet to be discharged from the hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries on his knee and heel. “India are really going to really miss Rishabh Pant. The Australians will be happy. He is a counter attacker, the guy who keep you awake are guys who score quickly and changes game in one session. Pant was one such player,” Chappell said during an interaction organised by Star Sports, the official broadcasters of the Test series for the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India are likely to hand a Test debut to KS Bharat to replace injured Pant in the four-match Test series.